


Colds and Vessels Don't Mix

by Ausomerus



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Gen, Ghost and Hollow can write, Ghost is a smol child, Ghost is sick, Hornet cooks sometimes, I feel like Ghost would be the person who gets sick and pushes through it, Post-Canon, Sick Character, Sickfic, Sly is just mentioned, Smol one gets sick, and then collapses because they pushed themselves way too hard while they are sick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:55:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23063572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ausomerus/pseuds/Ausomerus
Summary: Ghost gets a cold and Hornet notices.  Ghost doesn't want to go to bed.  Hornet makes them go to bed.  Hollow babysits them and it goes about as well as you expect.
Relationships: The Hollow Knight | Pure Vessel & Hornet & The Knight
Comments: 18
Kudos: 115





	Colds and Vessels Don't Mix

Ghost woke up in the house they shared with their siblings, Hollow, and Hornet. The pale child felt like someone had their head in a vice, squeezing it gently enough as to not impair their functioning, but be a mild annoyance, nonetheless. They walked into the kitchen, seeing Hornet in the kitchen, cooking omelets for Hollow, themselves, and herself. They wiped some runny black snot from their eyehole, internally grimacing upon feeling a tickle in the back of their throat.

Their body lurched forward as silent coughs wracked their body. Hornet turned around upon hearing them try to use their nail to stabilize themselves.

“Little Ghost, what is the matter?”

They pulled at their horns, a mild headache blooming due to the loudness of their sister’s voice. Hornet walked closer to them, grabbing their hands. She spoke, concerned for her younger sibling.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

Ghost nodded, black snot falling onto the floor as they did so. Hornet grimaced upon seeing the black snot on the floor before turning back to Ghost.

“Alright, Little Ghost, head back to bed.”

Ghost shook their head.  _ They wanted to explore more of Hallownest! Sure, they had marked nearly every area in Hallownest on their map, but they figured they might have missed stuff. _ Hornet sighed.

“Ghost, go to bed. You’re sick.”

Ghost shook their head, pointing their nail at Hornet. Hornet huffed.

“Little Ghost, if you will not go to bed of your own accord, I will  _ make _ you.”

She stepped aside as Ghost  _ tried _ to attack her with their nail. She quickly grabbed the nail from them, ignoring their silent protests. She spun a small web of silk, attached it to the nail, then threw it onto the ceiling. It stuck to the ceiling with ease. She figured it was high enough to keep Ghost from getting their nail while they were sick. She turned back to her sibling.

“Ghost, head to bed.”

Ghost shook their head.  _ They couldn’t go exploring without their nail. Why was she still telling them to go to bed? Other than the headache, snot, and coughing, they were fine! They still had energy to do things! _

Hornet sighed and picked them up. They started to squirm in her grasp, much to her annoyance. She quickly spun a line of silk before binding their arms to their sides. She quickly bound their legs as well after they kicked her in the side as they thrashed about.

She walked into their room and laid them in their bed. She covered them up to the bottom of their mask with the blanket on their bed. She turned to them and glowered at them.

“You will rest here until you are better.”

Ghost turned their head away from her in a mock silent treatment. They watched as the light in their room flicked off, surrounding them in darkness.

Hornet walked back into the kitchen, quickly preparing a bowl of soup for her sibling. She walked into Hollow’s room and woke them.

“Hollow, I made you breakfast. It’s on the table.”

She watched as Hollow slowly and carefully got out of bed. They quickly walked out of the room, leaving her in the dark room. She walked back into the kitchen and gave Hollow a gentle hug, careful of the stump where their arm had rotted off while they were infected, as it was still healing.

She walked over to the counter and grabbed the bowl of soup. She carried into Ghost’s room and flicked on the light. She walked over to her sibling and started undoing the silk on their arms. She offered them the bowl of soup.

“This will help you feel better for a bit.”

Ghost took the bowl and poured it into their eyesocket. Once all the soup had been poured into their eyesocket, they gave the bowl back to their sister. Hornet took the bowl and flicked the lights back off on her way out the door. She put the bowl in the sink and turned to Hollow.

“Would you be okay watching Ghost while I head to Sly’s to get some medicine for them?”

Hollow pointed to themselves as if to ask,  _ Me? _ Hornet nodded.

“Yes, you. Can you watch them while I get the medicine?”

Hollow nodded. Hornet grabbed her pouch of geo and headed out the door. Before she left, she turned to Hollow.

“I forgot to rebind their arms, but they seemed like they didn’t have too much energy, so they shouldn’t cause too much trouble for you.”

Hollow nodded as they watched her walk out the door and close it behind her. They turned to the entrance to the hallway upon hearing small footsteps. They saw Ghost, clutching a notebook and pencil in their hands. They were shaking, black tears rolling down their face.

Hollow tilted their head, then gestured for them to come over to the table. Ghost walked over to the table and ripped out a piece of paper. They scribbled on it before handing it to Hollow. Hollow read it.

“Hurts. Cold. Tired. Dizzy.”

Hollow noticed Ghost’s face looked paler than usual. They jumped out of their chair and grabbed their sibling as they fell forward. Hollow started to panic as they realized Ghost was completely limp in their arms. They turned around as they heard the door open behind them. They looked at Hornet, who hadn’t noticed Ghost’s state. Hornet spoke.

“Okay, so I got the grape flavor-”

She stopped talking upon realizing Hollow was shaking while clutching Ghost to their chest. She quickly took them from Hollow and felt Ghost’s forehead. She thought to herself,  _ That’s too warm, especially for a vessel! _

She laid Ghost down on the couch and got a washcloth from the closet nearby. She quickly got the washcloth wet with cold water and rung it out. She put it over Ghost’s forehead and watched her sibling closely for any sign of improvement. She turned to Hollow.

“Hollow, do you know what happened to them?”

Hollow walked over to the table and grabbed the notebook, pencil, and note that Ghost had given them. They handed the note to Hornet and started writing on a blank page in the notebook.

“Ghost passed out. Walked into kitchen. Shaking and crying. They looked paler.”

Hornet looked at what they wrote, then the note that Ghost wrote. She sighed.

“I think it’s the common cold, but they’re probably dehydrated. That’s probably why they passed out.”

Hollow nodded and headed into the kitchen. Hornet yelled after them.

“Hollow, what are you doing?”

She watched as Hollow came back into the room with a large glass of ice water. She nodded.

“Good idea, Hollow. We should probably wait until they wake up though.”

Hollow nodded, watching Ghost. Hornet grabbed Ghost’s hands as they woke up and immediately started reaching to pull at their horns. Hollow handed her the glass of water. Hornet handed Ghost the glass of water and watched them pour some into their eyesocket. She put on one of Ghost’s favorite animated movies for them to watch while they rested for the day. She handed them a small container of liquid grape-flavored medicine. They hesitantly poured the medicine into their eyesocket, recoiling slightly as they tasted it. Hornet looked at them.

“Sorry about the flavor. Sly didn’t really have any options.”

Ghost nodded and laid down next to their sister. They watched the movie with Hollow and their sister.

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who's dealing with allergies and should probably be asleep right now? The writer of this fic.


End file.
